Apple unveils new iPhone 14, Airpods Pro 2, Apple Watches at launch event

Apple unveiled the new iPhone 14, Airpods Pro 2, and Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra on Tuesday (Wednesday, Sep 8, Singapore time) at its launch event.

With upgrades and improvements in technology and aesthetics, here are the new products and features announced at Apple’s latest product launch.

The new iPhone 14 containing the A15 bionic chip grows not just in features but also in size. 

Both equipped with a Super Retina XDR display and ceramic shield front that is water and dust resistant, the iPhone 14 is 6.1 inches while the iPhone 14 Plus is 6.7 inches.

While all-day battery life used to only be available for iPhone Pro Max models, it has been extended to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus this time.

A full charge can last up to 20 hours of video playback on the iPhone 14, and 26 hours for the iPhone 14 Plus.

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus boasts a new camera system and a 12 megapixels main camera with a larger sensor, larger pixels and faster aperture. There is also now a 49 per cent improvement in low-light capture, with night mode exposure being twice as fast.

The front camera sees an upgrade as well with TrueDepth providing 38 per cent low-light improvement. Apple also introduced autofocus to the front camera for the first time.

The phones will also allow users to contact emergency services without cellular data through the SOS via satellite function. The new models will also support the eSIM – where no physical sim card is required. However, these features are currently unavailable in Asia.

Pricing for the iPhone 14 begins at S$1,299 and the iPhone 14 Plus will start from $1,499.

They are available for pre-order starting 8pm on Sep 9. The iPhone 14 will be launched on Sep 16, while the iPhone 14 Plus will launch on Oct 7.

The iPhone 14 Pro comes in the same size as the iPhone 14 at 6.1 inches, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the same size as the iPhone 14 Plus at 6.7 inches.

The iPhone 14 Pros are made out of surgical grade stainless steel, have a ceramic shield front, and are water resistant. They also contain an A16 bionic chip.

On the surface, the most noticeable differences are the Always-On display and the new “Dynamic Island”.

The Always-On display allows users to view their most important information without the press of a button or lift of a finger.

With the new Dynamic Island, the front camera now takes up 30 per cent less space than before. It is the key feature of the iPhone 14 Pro models’ new front design.

Features of Dynamic Island include expanding to notify alerts, providing easy access to controls of another app while still remaining on your current one, being always visible for ongoing activities, always live and active, and even adapting to multiple elements and bubbling into two different elements if there are multiple ongoing background activities.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will come with a 48 megapixels main camera, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses to ensure high quality shots. The front camera is equipped with TrueDepth and autofocus. The camera’s flash has also been redesigned to be twice as bright.

The iPhone 14 Pro supports up to 23 hours of video playback, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max can last 29 hours.

Prices begin from S$1,649 for the iPhone 14 Pro, and S$1,799 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Pre-order starts from 8pm on Sep 9, and both iPhone Pro models will be available starting Sep 16.

The design of the Apple Watch Series 8 stays similar to its earlier counterpart, with an Always-On 45mm or 41mm Retina display that is crack, dust and water resistant.

With the temperature sensor, women are now able to track their menstrual cycles and receive a retrospective estimate of ovulation. 

The Crash Detection feature introduces new motion sensors in the Apple Watch to sense precise moments of vehicle impact. With a high g-force accelerometer detecting up to 256 Gs of impact, Crash Detection can automatically connect you to emergency services, provide your location to dispatchers and alert any emergency contacts.

While the new Apple Watch already has an 18 hour battery life, they now come with a low power mode providing 36 hours of battery life on a full charge.

The Apple Watch Series 8 comes in four 100 per cent recycled aluminium colours – Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and (PRODUCT)RED. It is also available in three stainless steel finishes – Graphite, Silver, and Gold.

Prices begin at S$599 and will only be available on Sep 16.

Those who want to experience the core experience of an Apple Watch at a more affordable price can consider the 44mm or 40mm Apple Watch SE. This model is priced lower at S$379. 

However, it does not have an Always-On Retina display and lacks some features such as temperature sensing, blood oxygen app, and ECG app.

The Apple Watch SE comes in three colours, Silver, Midnight, and Starlight, in 100 per cent  recycled aluminium.

And for those who are big on competitive sports or intense outdoor activities, the new 49mm Apple Watch Ultra might be a good choice.

A new button — the Action button — is introduced to the Apple Watch Ultra for custom accessibility purposes. The watch is designed to be used while wearing gloves and has additional speakers for increased output volume. 

There is a built-in 86 decibel siren to alert people from 180 metres away in case of an emergency.

The Apple Watch Ultra is cellular built, providing 36 hours of battery life on a single charge.

Prices for the Apple Watch Ultra begin from $1,199 and it is only available from Sep 23.

The new Airpods Pro sees a whole upgrade with the brand new H2 chip.

The H2-powered AirPods Pro have up to two times more active noise cancellation than the older Airpods Pro. The new Adaptive transparency mode will react instantaneously to high decibel noise.

Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking is a new feature that works with iOS16 by precisely placing sounds and space tuned just for the user.

With the latest touch control, users can now easily adjust volume by lightly swiping up or down the Airpods Pro.

The new Airpods Pro also supports wireless charging. It also has longer battery life with up to 6 hours of listening time – which is a 33 per cent increase from the original AirPods Pro. With the charging case, the new AirPods Pro can be used for a total of 30 hours.

Prices start at S$359. The new AirPods Pro are available for pre-order on Sep 9, but only available from Sep 23.